May 18, 2012

Letter to the Editor

Safety training today builds safety leaders of the future, says IHSA

To the Editor:
My heartfelt condolences go out to the families of those 73 workers who lost their lives in 2011. One workplace fatality is simply one too many.

Time and time again when fatalities occur, the root cause can be traced back to a number of issues that often includes a lack of training, proper equipment, and the knowledge of safe work procedures through a company at every level of responsibility.

Proper training for high-risk activities is a key component to preventing workplace injuries and fatalities.

That is what our organization is all about and why we provide more than 20 safety training programs at no cost. In industries such as surface mining, construction, transportation and high-voltage electrical work, reducing the hazards is critical to ensuring a safe work environment.

That is what the Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA) bases its vision upon. Workplaces without injuries, illnesses or fatalities is what we strive for.

IHSA was formed in January 2010 by merging the Construction Safety Association of Ontario (CSAO), the Electrical & Utilities Safety Association of Ontario (E&USA), and the Transportation Health and Safety Association of Ontario (THSAO). These three organizations combined have 250 years of health and safety training expertise and now work together to provide services to a wider membership.

As part of the provincial health and safety system, we are recognized by the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board as designated trainers and consultants.

IHSA promotes the idea that health and safety is not just a cost of doing business but that it provides financial and social value to a company.

While we must offer some of our training programs and safety products at a market-value cost, we also provide 22 free training programs to our members.

We reach out to all construction workers in Ontario to take advantage of our free Construction Health & Safety—Basic training program. This free three-day program shows workers how to recognize and identify the basic requirements for health and safety, including both equipment and procedures.

The knowledge they acquire from this training has the potential to save their lives.

We invite all construction supervisors to take our free Basics of Supervising course. We know that supervisors are another key to a safe jobsite.

When supervisors are well trained in health and safety, injury rates and fatalities go down. It’s a proven fact.

IHSA’s Basics of Supervising course will teach supervisors their health and safety responsibilities under Ontario law, while providing them with the tools they need to become effective leaders and help save lives.

Training today’s supervisors is also training tomorrow’s senior executives and owners in health and safety practices.

This, IHSA believes, will help entrench those vital health and safety concepts into Ontario companies so that every level knows its safety responsibilities.

Yours Truly,
Al Beattie
President & CEO
Infrastructure Health & Safety Association

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